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Anxiety-disordered person awaiting TLKR July 28

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@Chihuahuan I don't have much of a medication regimen at the moment. I take Klonopin as needed, but since I need it all the time, I'm not really doing that. I have a new therapist that I have seen three times. I like her, but I haven't seen her for a couple weeks and won't see her again until July 21. One or the other of us is gone. July 21 is a week before my TKR, and I don't know how long it will be before I will be able to get out to see her. I wish she made house calls! Thanks for the shoe suggestion. There is an Easy Spirit outlet nearby that I will visit tomorrow. It is in the same place as the SAS store where I got my current shoes. I have to get wide shoes now because of my bunions as well as the neuromas. Not to mention the hammertoes. :dancy: Yikes, my genes are killing me!
 
I have to have my surgery at the 150-bed community hospital where my husband works. Otherwise we would have to pay a lot more out of pocket. I was hoping to have it at the larger hospital my OS also operates in. They have a sheet when you check in that lets you choose from a variety of alternative ways of dealing with pain in addition to pain meds. On the other hand, my OS told me that the little hospital lets him use a high-tech prosthesis the bigger hospital refuses because of its expense. So that's good.
 
One of the keys to successful recovery is pain management. It will also reduce the pain from all your other issues. My OS prescribed Celebrex on top of a pain combo and it worked wonders on my joints. Sadly not covered well by Medicare and the alternatives do not work as well for me. If the pain is under control then anxiety levels are much lower.
 
@Chihuahuan Celebrex is an NSAID, and they wreak havoc on my stomach. I used to take the other two that were in the same class--Vioxx and Bextra--and they were wonderful for my joints, but I had to quit them because of my stomach. They were found to cause an increase in fatal heart attacks and were taken off the market. I'm not sure why Celebrex is still available, but I don't think I want to take it. I think my OS said something about using Celebrex before or during the surgery in some sort of "cocktail"' so I'll have to talk to him about it on the 22nd. I hope they can get my pain under control. My husband said two anesthesiologists at his hospital also have a pain management practice, so I'm trying to be confident that they will be able to handle this! I think it works both ways for me..less pain means less anxiety, and controlled anxiety means less perceived pain. (I keep forgetting to listen to my pre-surgery guided image CD. I really need to do that.)

Hey, everyone who may be reading this! Remember how afraid I was of the pain compression stockings would almost certainly cause with my Morton's neuromas? I was up most of last night in a panic about this. My sister-in-law urged me an hour or so ago to call my OS and not wait a week and a half until my appointment with him. I did call and ended up talking to his administrative assistant. She said my OS doesn't use compression stockings anymore. He uses something on the lower leg that actively squeezes the lower leg (but not the foot) for maybe the first 24 hours after surgery. She also said I can sleep on my side if I support the surgical leg with a pillow. She said to make sure and tell the nurses that I have Morton's neuromas and don't want any socks on. So another fear bites the dust. I could have slept last night after all! Let that be a lesson to me. Only it won't be. But still, temporary relief. :spin:
 
Your OS seems to be using the same practices as mine :) No stockings for me ---side sleeping once I was able to. I usually have a horrid time with NSAIDS but I tolerated the cocktail I was on as long as I took my snack first.
One of the things I did when filling out the pre-surgery paperwork was to list absolutely all OTC meds that I have ever taken so that they were approved by the OS. Once acid reflux started after surgery, as it usually does, it was easy to get the Prilosec for it. Celebrex has fewer issues than Vioxx etc so I felt it was okay for the short term --and it did make a huge difference.
 
@Chihuahuan I did notice that Celebrex is not as hard on the stomach as Vioxx and Bextra were. I will probably consider taking it in the short term, too, although I need to ask about the heart attack risk since I know I have at least a 20% blockage of a coronary artery. Good idea about listing all OTC meds. I just got the paperwork from OS office today. They want me to take ferrous sulfate, but I don't think I'm going to. I just started taking Megafood Blood Builder this week, and I'm going to eat liverwurst, spinach, dried apricots, etc. and hope for the best.
 
I just went and picked up my temporary handicapped parking permit. It's good through December.

We had Chinese take-out for supper tonight. My fortune is "You will make a change for the better." Vague, I know, but still....
 
My family doctor had me take Flintstones chewables with Iron :) and I think extra Vitamin C but I'm foggy on that.
 
Yes I have the MegaFood Blood Builder too! I had anemia after the last surgery and it was a great alternative to iron supplements. I will start taking it again this week as my surgery should be in September. I hope it helps prevent the anemia from happening again!
 
Glad you called the OS office. Sometimes it is certainly worth calling about stuff rather than wondering and worrying. Communication is key. I found the CNA's very nice and helpful in the hospital with helping get me on my side and position pillows just so.
 
I did not elevate much at night but did so in the day time. You do not have to be lying down to elevate. Somewhere on B-smart is instructions on how to elevate correctly.
I slept with a pillow between my knees --you'll figure out what works for you. Just make sure you have lots of pillows.
 
@Chihuahuan Thanks for the link. I'm at a church camp in New Jersey this week, and there isn't any internet or cell phone connectivity. I drove to a nearby town this morning to make some calls and get online. I'll probably check again in a couple days.
 
Daystar said:
@Chihuahuan Thanks for the link. I'm at a church camp in New Jersey this week, and there isn't any internet or cell phone connectivity. I drove to a nearby town this morning to make some calls and get online. I'll probably check again in a couple days.
Click to expand...
I hope that everyone will be praying for and supporting you --it's a wonderful feeling!
 
In a recent post you said you wished your therapist made house calls. I am a therapist and when I had my surgery I did phone and skype sessions with my clients the first month or so, it's something I use to only do with my college bound clients as a way to continue therapy. If you ask her you may be able to have the sessions you need during recovery. It is very helpful when a client can't get to the office. There are also cd's that you can use to help you with the anxiety, and healing. They are by a company called Brain Synch, Kelly Howell the founder, worked with neuroscientists and biofeedback therapists to develop these products. I only use a few since I do not subscribe to cd's that "Attract Wealth" etc..but I have used those that relieve anxiety and promote healing as well as deep meditation and one for sleep, check out the website and learn how using different brainwaves (alpha,beta,gamma,delta) through sound can make you feel better. Then try a free download and see what you feel after listening. I am not in anyway connected to this company so know this is just a psychologist offering something I find helpful and have used myself. You also might ask your therapist to help you learn " Thought stopping" techniques...learn to recognize and instantly stop and change the worrisome thoughts that heighten you anxiety. I think you may be pleasantly surprised at how calming these can be. You'll get through this, and remember many other people who have great recoveries do not post on BSmart so the recovery forum is heavily weighted on problems. If everyone who had replacements posted you would see many more successful, no problem posts.
 
@sibbi1123 Thanks for your very helpful letter. I see you live in NJ. I was there all last week. Just got home to PA a few hours ago. My son lives in NJ with his Canadian wife and my two grandchildren. We were all together at a church camp near Schooley's Mountain. It helped a little to take my mind off my upcoming surgery. Klonopin helped even more! :heehee: I'll look at the website you mentioned tomorrow. I see my therapist on Monday, and I'll see what suggestions she has. I'm also going to the dentist on Monday, as well as to the gym. I should get my pre-surgery testing done, too, but I don't think I have time.

My Cryo Cuff came while I was gone. It looks like it's in good condition, but I want to make sure it works before I need it.
 
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